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US 12,592,382 B2Granted
Electrochemical cells with lithium alloy anodes
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsErik R. Scott, Prabhakar A. Tamirisa
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Abstract
Electrochemical cells and methods of preventing overheating of the same are disclosed. An electrochemical cell may include a cathode and an anode. The anode may include a lithium alloy. The anode may be configured to reduce a maximum rate of ion transfer between the anode and the cathode in response to an occurrence of a fault condition. The lithium alloy may comprise at least 70 weight percent lithium to 99 weight percent lithium.
Claims18
An electrochemical cell for an implantable medical device, the electrochemical cell comprising:
- a cathode;
- and
- an anode comprising a lithium alloy and configured to reduce a maximum rate of ion transfer between the anode and the cathode from a standard rate to a reduced rate in response to an occurrence of a fault condition, the lithium alloy comprising at least 70 weight percent lithium to 99 weight percent lithium, the fault condition comprising providing a current, using the electrochemical cell, equal to or greater than a threshold current for a threshold period of time, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to deliver electrical pulses and to draw energy from the electrochemical cell at a pulse current level for a predetermined time period, wherein the threshold current is less than or equal to the pulse current and the threshold period of time is greater than the predetermined time period.
An implantable medical device comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more electrical components disposed in the housing;
- and
- one or more electrochemical cells electrically coupled to at least one electrical component of the one or more electrical components, each of the one or more electrochemical cells comprising:
- a cathode;
- an anode comprising a lithium alloy and configured to reduce a maximum rate of ion transfer between the anode and the cathode from a standard rate to a reduced rate in response to an occurrence of a fault condition, the lithium alloy comprising at least 70 weight percent lithium to 99 weight percent lithium, the fault condition comprising providing a current, using the electrochemical cell, equal to or greater than a threshold current for a threshold period of time;
- a separator arranged between the anode and the cathode to prevent direct contact between the anode and the cathode;
- and
- an electrolyte to facilitate transport of ions between the anode and the cathode, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to deliver therapeutic electrical pulses, wherein the at least one electrical component is configured to draw energy from each of the one or more electrochemical cells at a pulse current level for a predetermined time period, and wherein the threshold current is less than or equal to the pulse current and the threshold period of time is greater than the predetermined time period.
6 more elements
A method for preventing overheating of an electrochemical cell for an implantable medical device, the electrochemical cell comprising:
- a cathode;
- an anode comprising a lithium alloy, the lithium alloy comprising at least 70 weight percent lithium to 99 weight percent lithium;
- a separator arranged between the cathode and the anode to prevent direct contact between the anode and the cathode;
- and
- an electrolyte to facilitate transport of ions between the cathode and the anode;
- and
- the method comprising:
- providing power using the electrochemical cell;
- and
- adjusting, using the anode, a maximum rate of ion transfer between the cathode and the anode from a standard rate to a reduced rate response to an occurrence of a fault condition, the fault condition comprising providing a current, using the electrochemical cell, equal to or greater than a threshold current for a threshold period of time;
- and
- wherein the implantable medical device is configured to deliver electrical pulses to draw energy from the electrochemical cell at a pulse current level for a predetermined time period, wherein the threshold current is less than or equal to the pulse current and the threshold period of time is greater than the predetermined time period.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.